Photo Credit: Stellar Propeller Studio

Social media is a great way to connect with your readership on a new level and grow your blog reach. There are many apps out there (and there are new ones everyday) but there are several that are leading the way in the blog community that I think every blog should have.

INSTAGRAM
It may or may not be obvious but this one is my favorite. It is literally snapshots of your day (and everyone else’s!) You can follow all you favorite bloggers, sweet friends, and wonderful photographers. I love the intimacy that Instagram can bring. You are allowed to see little the moments that make bloggers real people – adventures at the park, meals, what they are reading, doing, eating, liking… I have made some great friends over Instagram (liking & commenting back and forth) and even found new blogs that way. I recommend it to connect with your readers on a personal level and also to find like minded blogs thanks to the #hashtags! Make sure you’re following me on Instagram and come say hi!

Related: Top 5 Tips for Instagram

PINTEREST
Where all things crafty, creative, and pretty live. Having a Pinterest is more than just enabling your addiction 😉 It can grow your blog in unexpected ways! Awhile back my husband and I did the Whole30 and I wrote a post on tips & tricks when we were all done! That pin has brought many views to my blog & also drawn many people who share a same interest. Pins can help your blog find other readers but it can also help you find other bloggers! Just make sure that your Pinterest is not filled with only pins from your blog or else you will look a bit self centered. Find other blogs, pin things you like when you are reading your favorite blogs, and create well rounded Pinterest boards!

TIP: When you are blogging use Pinterest friendly photos in your posts (text, vertical) and have a way for readers to easily pin your images. This will help your website gain traction on Pinterest.

Related: How to Make Pinterest Work for You

FACEBOOK
Create a page for your blog (not your personal facebook) so that you can share posts, connect with your readers, ask questions, share links, etc. people are on facebook all the time, engage with them while they are waiting in line or taking a break after putting dinner in the oven. Also, make sure to like all the other blogs you follow so that you can share deals, stories, favorite blog posts, and work together! I highly recommend making a page for your blog so you don’t spam your family & friends with you blog posts all the time unless they chose to like your page!

TWITTER
You should have a twitter for your blog. Some people are Twitter stars and post all the time while others of us sign in once a day to check on things. Either way, it is good to have an account because it is pretty great.

GOOGLE +
Google+ is one of the newer social medias to the scene but you should still consider it for your blog. It is really easy to share content, join like-minded communities, and encourage each other. Posting on Google+ also helps with SEO and Google’s Searches so you’re doing yourself a favor!

EMAIL
I am including this in social media because I believe it to be SO important! Email is one of the most personal ways that you can connect with your readers! If you are open and available for your readers to email you thoughts, questions, ideas you will be able to understand your readership better. Also, an timely email response can mean the world to a reader. I know I feel valued when other blogs I am working with are emailing me updates and responding kindly, professionally, and quickly to my emails. Find an email rule that works for you – I try to respond within a week (or earlier if it is time sensitive) but you might feel like you can reply within the same day if blogging is your full time job. Find that number and try to honor it but don’t stress because no one is perfect!

PICK YOUR FAVORITES. When you see how exciting and fun all of these social media outlets can be, it is easy to go overboard checking & updating all of them. Let’s be real, there is not enough time in the day to spend quality time on all of these even if it was all you did 24/7. Pick your favorites and commit to it! Spend more time on one and dabble in the rest of them! Also, you can alternate which ones you spend more time on. Currently I am spending most of my “social media time” on Instagram and Pinterest.

INCLUDE SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS. If you have a Facebook page for your blog, a Twitter account, and an Instagram, make sure you have links for all three on your blog! When I find a new blog that I love, I click straight to their Instagram account to see if I want to follow them. It helps me remember and connect with the new blog.

CREATE UNITY IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIAS. When I first started creating all these social media outlets for my blog my names were all over the place. It was hard for readers to find me when my Twitter account was @untilonlylove, my instagram was @lizbethjoy, and my Pinterest was Beth Ridings (my maiden name!) Now everything is under Elizabeth Mayberry and @oakandoats so that everything is consistent. Try to stick with your blog name as much as possible when doing this. If I am trying to tag a fellow blogger who encouraged me or gave me an idea, I try to tag them by their name/ blog name. If it is @catylove38 but her blog is called Everyday Adventures and her really name is Katlyn, I wont be able to find her and probably wont try to figure it out ifIi am posting in a hurry. Be memorable, simple, and consistent.

TIP: You can change your name in all of the these social medias if you are wanting to do so.

USE IT TO CONNECT. There is more to social media than flooding them with your blog posts. Yes, it is a place to share your posts BUT you have the opportunity to share so much more. Share thoughts from your day “so thankful for the Starbucks my coworker bought me!” or ask questions to engage with your readers “who else is watching the Olympics every night?!? #sochi2013”

TRY NEW THINGS. Social media is EVER changing. Remember myspace? I loved my myspace and only got a facebook because I had a college email and it was like a right of passage (we all know that rule changed!) I was not really sure about twitter and it is still not my favorite but has helped me connect with my readers. I have become more eager to try new apps and see how/ if they help me connect with my readership and community. I tried vine but deleted it because I didn’t feel like it was a good niche for me and I am still trying to figure out snapchat (hah!) Remember, you don’t have to do everything but you wont know what you like until you try things!